Rural mail box



W. H. DOOLEY.

RURAL MML BOX.

APPLICATION FILED Dias. 1921.

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l... lll Il W. H. DOOLEY. RURAL MAIL BOX. APPMcATloN FILED Dc.3, 1921.

Patented 00t.24,1922.

`Patented @et 24, 1922.

Winn HENRY DooLEY, or wirnnfron, TEXAS.

RURAL Mei-L Box.

Application filed December 3, 1921. Serial No. 519,663.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, TILL HENRY DooLnY, i citizen of the Uni-ted Stn-tes, residing at Wharton, in the county oi Wharton and State of Texas, have invented lcertain new and useful improvements in Rural Mail Boxes, of which the following is e4 speciliczition. i

My invention relates to mail boxes intended for rural routes and the mein Object of the invention is to provide email box for holding not only ineoming mail but also outgoing muil, each contained in :i separate compartment in the box.

Another-obj ect isto providesignztls on the box to indiceteto the postmzin iii until is to be teken out.y und to, the owner ot the box, if mail. has lbeen delivered to him by the postinun.

Another object resides in the provision off double doors7 the inne-1; one with slotsv 'for depositing muil and a lock tofprevent unentliorized persons from tempering with its` contents; the outer door tok protect the box from d-ust,. dampness7 min or snow which may otherwise. penetrete to, the interior ot the box. lVhen bothl doorsV :ire closed the box becomes practicality seeledyso thuit the weather can-nou :dieet the' contents lot the box.

Other objects and advantages ot my in, vention willybe, obvious 'from the tollen-*ing deseription and eluims. @ne embodiment oli the invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings; vand7 y Figure. l shows e perspective view of a mail box withlthe outer door partlyiopeni;

figure. 2 is e, vertical seetion alongv line 2 2 of liigure-t; y

Figure 3 is @horizontal sectionv alongA line of.` liigure 2; :1nd, l

Figure. il. is, central longitufllinalsection along line i-ll of, Figure 2.`

The mail box consistsot eletbottoin'.- 170,-. a. tiet beck ll, andtwoperpendieuler sidesy Yl2 joiningV :it the top to 'form zt dome-like.

root 13. rlibe sidesv and beek,ereprefeizably connected by ineens otiliungededgesr 1.4i. andi the bottom l(),is soldered or. rivetedto'the sides sind.. the back ot the box. Helix wey upthe interior. of the box is seourede :i per,- tition. l5 for dividing. the. box 1 into .an upper compartment for receiving outgoing mail. and@ lower1 compartment; forv incoininggmznl. 0n this partition lniuy placensinell.receptacle 1G .for depositingfcoin.inexchange ttorV necessary stamps to be attached to the mail inthe outgoing compartment.

Around the open end of the box I provide a hood 17 which protrudes with its edge 18 beyond the edge 19 of this end of the box und the hood l? is moreover spaced 'from the roof and side walls of the box at these edges and tapering toward the other end to join the box proper as :it 20, where it is tiOht-ly secured in any suitable manner es by so dering or riveting. ln order to make the connection between the hood sind the box more iirm il insert n spicingl member 2l to till the space between the'hood und box end also to torni an abutment '2Q 'for the edges ot the inner door 23 when closed.

This door 23 consists of a l'iuuged plate, the flanges Q4 oi? which ure constructed to engage around the outside oil? the end 19 of the box :ind e hinge 25 is formed at the lower end ot' the door, by ineens of which it is con nected to the bottom :ind sides ot the box. An upper slot 2G and e lower slot 27 :ire provided in the door 23 and through which the mail is deposited in the outgoing` :1nd incoming'` mail coinpnuftm'ents of the box respectively.l .A staple 28 adapted to eng-:ige with :i hasp Q9 und secured et the top olf the box :Lnd e locl'i $30- are provided ttor locking; the door 23 in position.. A pin on u chain attached to the box may take the place of the look..

As best seen in. Figures 2 and 4:, the hood ii' is not closed' at the bottoni but extends below the sume inl order toforni of bearing for the hinge 3l oittheouter door 32. This door is formed in a similar manner to the inner door but has no slots. The flanges 33 are constructed to tit tightly over the edge L8 oithe-- hood l?, so. :is `to form a sealed joint therewith around three sides ot the box. In order to olose the hinge or bottom side of the box. l provide :i sealing` pluto 34,. which,y isv solderedv or riveted :dong the under-side oli,` the bottom l0 and has zihooled oneuived tonguer, which lits over the hinge 3l exerting u pressurethereon. It will be evident that with this additional settlingl plete 234-,- all cracks und joints between the door 3Q sind: the box will be filled, so'thnt no moisture oi' dust cu'npenetiiuite into the oompautments ot the box.y und` no rust or ice is :rpt to injure the lock 30.

The outer door 32 hzisuv handle 36 ot its upper end' and teil piece 3T ut its lower euchY shupedto form nV stop against the bottom of' the box Vwhen the outer door is opened and has taken a substantially horizontal position. rlhe relative positions oit the hinges 25 and 3l is suoli, that the hinge 31 ttor the outer door forms a stop, upon which the inner door 23 rests when in openposition.

In order to hold the outer door 32 in closed position, I provide a latch di' of a good spring steel rigidly secured on the top of the box as seen in Figure 4. rlhis latch has a depending nose IS intended for engaging with the upper end of the door A32 and hold it tightly aga-inst the hood 17.

Pivoted to the box. as seen in liigure 1 is preferably provided a `Hag for each kind o'l'l mail, so that tor instance the liag 'ifor incoming mail, consisting o'li a rectangular plate 40 and a stem l-l, pivoted at 4:2, so that it can swing in the plane oit the side oi the mail box. A. spring clasp ldis provided to retain the vflag in upright position and a stop plate Ll5 for contacting with the stem fl-l, when the flag is in tolded position. In ease the postulan should carry more mail ilor the recipient than the incoming conipartment will hold, a folding` flap elli hinged on the rectangular llagi portion fifi). and marked excess, has been provided. In that ease the postnian will not only raise the llag n'iarked Incoming mail, but also uni'old the llap 4.6. so that the owner of the box will be able to see from his house, not only that mail has beendelivered, butn also, that au excess oli mail, that the incoming` mail oompartment will not hold, has arrived.

A similar (.onstrueted vflag marked Outg going mail7 is preferably provided on the opposite side oit the box` which the owner Will raise, when there is mail to be taken out by the postman, thus saving the postman from opening the box unneeessariljf'.

A plate 50 may be provided lor vgiving the name of the owner of the box and this plate is preferably secured to one side thereof by means of screws or other detachable means and in case that the residence should. Change hands, a similar plate, giving the former owners naine and new address, might be provided on the opposite side of the box.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is: I

l. In a mail box having` an opening at one end, a. door with a suitable lock 'for closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint lwith the walls ot the box. an outer door being hinged to said hood at the 'fourth side ol 'the box and provided with a latch and means ii'or sealing the outer door on all sides when closed.

2. In a mail box having an opening at one end, a door with a suitable lock for closing said opening, a hood surroundingthree sides of said end and prot'rluling` beyond theled thereof, said hood liorniiingy a tight joint with the Walls o'l" the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood the fourth side ot the box and provided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides when closed, said means including flanges on said outer door tightly engaging with said hood. v v

8. In a Inail box having `an opening at one end, a door with a suitable look for closing .said opening, a hood surrounding three sides oii' said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint with the VWalls oi the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the 'fourth side olf the box and provided with a latch and means ttor sea-ling the outer door 'on all sidesl When closed, said means :including ay con-- necting member oe'tween the hingefol1 saidj' outer door and the Yfourth side of the box.

4. In a mail box having an opening at oneend, a door with a suitable lock ttor closingY said opening, a hood surrounding three,

sides ol." said end and protruding beyond the edges thereoi, said hood iliorming a tiglig't joint with the walls ol: the boxpan outerdoor being` hinged to said hood at the lfourthy side oi' the box and provided `with a la'teh and means ior sealing the outer door 0nalll sides when closed, said means comprising flanges on said outer door adapted to engage' tightly over said hood and a plate se cured to the fourth side of the box and provided With a curved lip resting on the hinge oil said outer door.` i

5. In a mail box hai-ing an opening at one end, a door with a suitable lock tor closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides oli' said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood :forming a tight joint with the Walls oi the box,n an outerv door being hinged to said hood atithe fourth side oi' the box and providedwith a latch and means for sealing the outer' door on all sides when closed, a stop on said outer door for limiting the swinging thereof and adapted to engage with the iourth side oi' the box when the door isin open position.

6. In a mail box having an opening at one end, a door with a suitable loci; lor closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and j )rotruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint with the Walls oiE the box, an outer doorbeing hinged to said hood at the lourtli side of the box and proif'ided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides when closed, said :first door being hinged to the box and the hinge oll the outer door forming a stop for said lirst sition.

7. In a mail box having an opening at one door when in open poend, a door with a suitable, look for closing" said opening,'a hood surrouinling` three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint With the Walls of the box, a spacing member inserted between said hood and said sides, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the fourth side of the box and provided With a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides When closed.

8. In a mail box having an opening at one lo end, a door with a suitable lock for closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint with the Walls of the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the fourth side of the box and provided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides when closed; a partition in the box for providing a compartment for incoming mail and another compartment for outgoing mail, and corresponding slots for depositing mail therein being provided in said first door.

9. In a mail box having an opening at one end, a door with a suitable lock for closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint with the Walls of the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the fourth side of the box and provided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides When closed; a partition in the box for providing a compartment for incoming mail and another compartment for outgoing mail, and corresponding slots for depositing mail therein being provided in said first door, a flag for each kind of kmail being pivoted on the outside of the box and adapted to announce the contents of the box, when said flag is raised to a certain position, and means for securing the fiag in said position.

10. In a mail box having an opening at one end, a door with a suitable lock for closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof,V said hood forming a tightjoint with the Walls of the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the fourth side of the box and provided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides When closed; a partition in the box for providing a compartment for incoming mail and another compartment for outgoing` mail, and corresponding slots for depositing mail therein being provided in said first door, a :fiag for each kind of mail being pivoted on the outside of the box and adapted to announce the contents of the box, when said iag is raised to a certain position, and means for securing the flag in said position, and a folding flap on said flag intended to denote certain conditions of said mail when said flap is unfolded.

1l. In a mail box having an opening at one end, a door with a suitable lock for closing said opening, a hood surrounding three sides of said end and protruding beyond the edges thereof, said hood forming a tight joint with the Walls of the box, an outer door being hinged to said hood at the fourth side of the box and provided with a latch and means for sealing the outer door on all sides When closed, a plate detaehably inounted on said box and carrying the oWners name.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VILL HENRY DOOLEY. [1.. s]

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,432,848, granted October 24, 1922, upon the application of Will Henry Dooley, of Wharton, Texas, for an improvement in Rural Mail Boxes, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, after line 75, insert the following as claim 12:

1Q. A mail bom uwing on opening` (i door adapted to etose Said opening, a zooct surrounding the opening eno protruding beg/ond t/e edges thereof, said hood forming i tight joint with( the' watts of the oom, an outer door hinged to seid hood and having means for sealing the outer door on atl sides when closed.; and that the said Letters Patent should be reacl with this correction therein that the same inay conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 6th clay of January, A. D. 1925.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

